Finance Ministry PSST Ggoobi declares Dr. Ogwel unfit as Accounting officer at NCS 

By Emmanuel Sekago

In a significant development, Finance Ministry Permanent secretary/Secretary to the treasury Ggoobi has declared Dr. Bernard Ogwel unfit to continue serving as the Accounting Officer at the National Council of Sports (NCS).

This decision follows the recommendations of the Auditor General and the Internal Auditor General for the fiscal year 2024/2025, as outlined in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the National Council of Sports, dated July 25th, 2024.

The letter, seen by Wallnetnews, invokes Section 11(2)(g) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) 2015, as amended, which states that “the Secretary to the Treasury shall not appoint or designate a person an accounting officer where, according to the report of an Internal Auditor General or the Auditor-General, that person has not accounted for the public resources or assets of the vote for a financial year.” This legal provision underpins the declaration of Dr. Ogwel’s ineligibility.

The communication from PSST Ggoobi highlights the need for the NCS to recommend a suitable officer for the position of Accounting Officer for Vote 166 for the fiscal year 2024/2025. It is noteworthy that the NCS has consistently required national sports federations to account for the funds allocated to them, with varying degrees of compliance based on the federations’ annual receipts.

This decision comes in the wake of controversy involving alleged corruption and bribery within the NCS, raised by the Uganda Netball Federation.

The federation accused some NCS officials of demanding illegal kickbacks, an allegation the NCS denied, suggesting it was an attempt to avoid accountability. The situation escalated when, in April, the First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports,  asked the then Uganda Netball Federation President, Babirye, to step down.

The NCS subsequently revoked the federation’s certificate of recognition and appointed a normalization committee, though significant progress has yet to be observed since its appointment in November 2023.

A similar situation occurred with the Uganda Kickboxing Federation, whose certificate was also revoked by the NCS. Unlike in the netball case, no normalization committee was appointed, leading to concerns about the stagnation of the sport despite Uganda’s talent pool.

In response to the letter from PSST Ggoobi, dated July 30th, 2024 (Ref: NCS.7/1), the NCS Chairman convened a Special Council Meeting to address the matter. The council resolved to seek further clarification and more information regarding the issues raised by the Auditor General and the Internal Auditor General for FY 2024/25.

They also emphasized the provisions of Section 39(3) of the National Sports Act Cap 151, which states, “The General Secretary shall be the Accounting Officer of the Council.”

Furthermore, the council requested that the matter be formally brought to the attention of the First Lady/Minister of Education and Sports for further guidance, given the critical nature of the ongoing government projects being executed by the NCS. The council also resolved to reinstate the General Secretary of the Council as the Accounting Officer for FY 2024/2025.

Stakeholders interviewed by Wallnetnews expressed concern over the NCS Chairman’s insistence on reinstating Dr. Ogwel despite the findings of the Auditor General and the Internal Auditor General.

This has raised suspicions of potential concealment of information and mismanagement within the NCS. The situation underscores the need for transparency and accountability in managing public resources within Uganda’s sports sector.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bernard Ogwel is currently in Paris, France, attending the Olympic Games. An announcement on one of the NCS’s social media channels  seen by wallnetnews read: “GS OUT OF STATION, Good afternoon colleagues, this is to inform you that the General Secretary will be away on official duties from 23rd July 2024 to 10th August 2024. While he is away, Mr. Oluga Joseph (AGS/A) will act in the office of General Secretary. Please accord him all the necessary support. Professional Regards, SHRO.”